Portable booth



J. E. BITTICK PORTABLE BOOTH Jan. 30, 1940.

Filed Feb. 23, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Snnentor JAMES 'E .B/TT/CK attorneys Jan. 30, 1940. 1. E. BlTTlCK 2,188,747

PORTABLE BOOTH Filed Feb. 25, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3nnntor UHMES E. B/TT/CK attorney 5 Patented Jan. 30, 1940 PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE BOOTH James E. Bittick, Fort Myers, Fla., assignor of forty -five one-hundredths to Edward S. Davies, Tampa, Fla., and ten one-hundredths to James A. Franklin, Fort Myers, Fla.

Application February 23, 1939, Serial No. 257,942

8 Claims.

' My invention relates to an improvement in portable booths designed and adapted primarily to serve as a dressing booth for use at bathing beaches, but also adapted to serve Various other purposes with obvious adaptations thereto, such as a portable emergency dark room, a shelter, a ticket or concession booth, a childrens play house, and as a substitute for the conventional tent for either'sports or business.

The booth comprises a supporting frame Wor or sectional uprights and top braces, all preferably adapted for ready disassemblage to form a compact, conveniently transportable bundle, and I associate with the frame work, in a distinctive Way, a continuous side curtain associated with either a ground cloth or a top cover cloth, or both.

It is a distinguishing feature of my invention that the cross braces are provided at one end with anchor pins adapted to pass through suitable holes at the top of the corner uprights and project sufficiently beyond same to engage eyelets in the side curtain by means of which the latter is supported on the frame at each corner brace.

My invention further contemplates forming the ends of the side curtain with permanent pocket's, one adapted to receive a fixed corner post and the other amovable door post which is adapted to be secured selectively to either of the corner posts defining the door opening so as to secure the doorfiap in either closed or open position. I g

My invention further contemplates so designing equipping the ground or cover cloth with grommets that it is adapted when used as a ground cloth to receive and center the ground anchor pins at the bottom of the corner posts, and

when used as 'a cover for the'booth to receive. it the top in the corner posts. When the same cloth is convertible to both uses it is provided with supplemental grommets which will fasten over the curtain-supporting pins and thus afford not only a double anchorage for the top cloth but also a downward pitching eave overlap which will more effectively close and protect the joint between the top and side curtain. I

My invention is particularly designed to provide a frame work easy to set up or knock down, and

"when knocked down that will be composed of parts of equal, or very similar, length which can be rolled together in the side curtain with the ground or cover cloth to form a conveniently transportable package.

My invention further comprises the novel details of construction and arrangements of parts which are'obviously susceptible of wide variation according to the use contemplated for the booth and thematerials available for its construction, all, however, being within the scope of my invention as pointed out in the accompanying specification and as illustrated in its preferred embodiment only in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings: Fig. l is a front elevation of a booth with corner post anchors inserted through the ground cloth grommets, and the. curtain door in closed position with a portion thereof broken away to i1- lustrate the joint in the knockdown corner posts.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and4 are enlarged cross sectional views taken on the lines III-III and IVIV respectively' of Fig; 1.,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail in plan of meeting ends of brace and corner posts and their respective pins.

Fig. "6 illustrates the booth with the ground cloth applied as a cover and with the door rolled open and hung in its open position. Fig. '7 is a miniature view of the booth with the side curtain removed, utilized merely as a shelter.- I i Fig. 8 is a detail view of the tie means to secure the curtainto the lower end of the exposed corner posts.

Similar. reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated, I employ preferablyfour duplicate corner posts 9 and Ill, though obviously a greater or lesser, number could be used, according to the design of the .booth selected. Each of these corner posts is preferably made up of two half sections, one carrying a metallic ferrule I I into which the other half is adapted to fit tightly and snugly. These ferrules may be fitted on reduced ends of the post sections, or may telescope over unreduced ends of such sections asmay be desired. The ferrule is preferably made fast to one post section bymeans of a pin H, or by punching the metal of the ferrule into one of the sections of the. post.

I make fast'in the lower half section of each corner post an axially extending anchor pin I3 which can have any desired shape and length suitable to firmly. anchor the post, when forced down into the sand or ground. The upper half section of each post carries a top axial pin I4, secured tightly therein, and is-also provided with a transverse bore, indicated at l5, placed just be-' low the bottom end of its top pin. The pin l3 typifies any ground or floor engaging anchor means. The top brace for the booth comprises a socketed center piece It with diagonal brace posts each of which fits at its inner end into a socket in the center piece and is provided at its outer end with an axially projecting pin |8. On the corner post'lii I mount near its lower end a bolt is formed with a loop or eye 20 enlarged sufficiently to freely receive the lower end of the swinging door post 21 which is assembled like the corner posts 9 and I0 of duplicate sections connected by a center ferrule II. This post 2| is provided at its upper end with a bolt 22 passing therethrough and provided with an eye 23 adapted to fit over the toppin M on the corner posts.

The parts thus described constitute the-knock down frame work of the booth.

I propose to employ, as a side closure or wall for the booth, a curtain 25, in length corresponding to the perimeter. of the booth and in width extending from a point near the ground tora point near the top of the booth frame when set up. The curtain has formed across one end a continuous loop or pocket 26 adapted to receive freely the corner post l0, and also has, near its other end, a loop 21 adapted to receive the swinging door post 2|. These loops are formed by folding back the. ends' of the cloth strip and stitching same to its body, and I stitch a band of tape 28 along the upper and 'lower edges of the fabric strip throughout its entire length as a reinforcement. I form opposed holes, with suitable grommets if desired, at the top of the loop 26 so that the. pin l8 of the brace H, which pierces. th-e'post': Ill, will pass twice through the fabric of loopv 26. and its reinforcing tape 28, to make one vend of the curtain fast at its top to post, l0;

The curtain end forming the pocket 26 is secured by a double line of stitches 29 (Fig. 3) to the curtain body. The end forming the pocket 2'! is secured to the curtain body by three lines of stitches 30, 3| and 32. The pocket 21' is formed between stitching 3| and 32, and the latter stitching is sufficiently spaced from the bight to define a flap 33 for: thepurposes later described. I attach in opposed relationship an inside and an outwise fabric handle 34, each formed by: a section of tape with its ends stitched so as to form a handle bight. If desired, as. shown in Figs. 6 and 8, I may attach to the curtain on the inside through its bottom tape 28, narrow tapes 35, the stitching being at the center and the tapeends left loose so that they can be tied around the corner posts 9. These tape fastenings will secure the bottom of the curtain to the frame to prevent the wind. blowing it up or away from the door opening.

Iprovide a ground cloth 36, corresponding to the general shape of. the framework but larger than. it, and having two sets of grommets at each corner, the inner set of grommets: 31. being'spaced and adapted to anchor pins: l3. of the corner posts to be forced therethrough into the ground.

and the outer grommets. 38. being so disposed that when the ground cloth is: used as av top cover over the booth and its grommets 31 havebeen engaged over the top pins. [4, these. outer grommets 38 can be drawn and engaged over the brace pins H) at the corner posts, thus giving the top cloth a double fastening and holding its edges-drawn over and downwardly like eaves Between stitching lines 30 and 3| overhanging the top joint between the curtain and the top cover. It is of course obvious that two cloths could be used at the same time, one a only as a floor cloth and the other only as a top cover cloth, in which event one need carry only the grommets 31 and the other the grom-,

mets 38 and 31.

"Ifdesired, the top cover cloth can be applied to the bare framework, as shown in Fig. '7,

with the side curtain omitted, in which event protection of workers.

To assemble the booth, the sections of the several corner posts 9 and lil are fitted together.

by the ferrules, the ground cloth 36 is placed on the ground and the corner posts have their bottom anchor pins l3 thrust down through its grommets 31, thus properly spacing and centering them and stitching the ground cloth into}: The top braces I! are then fitted into. their sockets in the center member l6 and their pins i8 are inserted through thev service position.

top holes H5 in the corner posts to'form a center brace for the latter at the top and set the pins it so that they project substantially beyond the. corner posts. be used, its loop 26 is. first slipped over the corner post Iii before its top brace II is applied and its pin 18 passed twice through theloop 26 at the top. The curtain is then drawn around the fram and its top holes orgrommets are engaged over the pins l8 to support it on the several corner posts 9. I then insert through the loop 2'! in the door flap the swinging door If the curtain 25 is to post 2|, its members being suitably assembled by their ferrule with its eye bolt 23' above the topv of the loop. I then tie the bottom tapes -35 to secure the lower edge of the corner posts 9, and the booth is then assembled and ready for use, such as a beach dressingbooth.

To close the booth, the end of the curtain carrying the swinging door post 2| serves asa'.

door flap and is drawn by a handle 3d toward the post It). is slipped into the bottom loop 20 on the corner First, the lower end of post 2| post Hi and I then lowered until its upper eye bolt 23 is engaged over the top pin H! of said a This provides anefiective closure forpost l9. the booth and the flap 33 will overlap post M to close the joint between posts 2| and Hi. If desired the flap 33. may be stuffed with anysuitable material as a filler to stifien and thicken H it so that it will better serve said latter purpose. A: loop 413, formedby leaving a portion of the top tape 28 unstitched around the pocket 21 and flap 33, can then be drawn up and passed over the-top of post 2| so as to engage the eye bolt 23 and secure the top of the curtain door flap against slipping down I on its suspended post member 2|.

If it be desired to use the floor cloth as a.

cover, it may be first used to mark the proper position for the corner posts, and then laid aside until the frame is erected when it is mounted on the vertical top pins Id of the corner posts by means of grommets 31, and after being so mountedv its grommets. 38 are engaged over'the horizontal brace pins i8 and in being thus se-: curely mounted it serves also to brace and reinforce the top frame assembly.

When it is desired to open the flap door, in- I stead of letting it hang-loose I roll the flap" about its post member 2|, as shown in Fig. 6,

and its eyelet 23. is hooked over the left hand] 75.1,"

door post 9, or, if it is. desired to open up the booth on two sides when using it as a sun shade or protection, I untie the adjacent tape 35 and the curtain is further rolled until it reaches the back corner post 9 diagonally across from the post It! on which it can then be hung. If no curtain is desired at all, it can be omitted or entirely removed from the assembled framework and the top cover only applied thereto, as shown in Fig. 7. I

The curtain and ground or'top cloth can be made of any suitable material or fabric, waterproofed if a rain-proof shelter, booth or tent is I desired. The inside handle 34 is provided to facilitate the opening and closing of the door flap from the inside of the booth.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof.

What I claim is:

1. In a booth or the like, a frame comprising corner posts and top diagonal brace elements having end pins, there being holes through the upper end of said posts through and beyond which said pins project, and a fabric element which engages, and is held in position on the frame by, the overhung outer end of said pins.

2. A booth and the like according to claim 1, in which said fabric element consists of a continuous side curtain surrounding the booth and having spaced top grommets adapted to beengaged over the several pins, and releasable means to secure its ends in closed relation.

3. A booth and the like according to claim 1, in which the posts have top vertical pins, and the fabric element is a top cover having marginal grommets adapted to be engaged over said pins projecting from both top and side of the posts.

4. In a booth or the like, a frame comprising corner posts with bottom anchors and top brace means and retainer elements, a side closure demountably hung on said frame, and a convertible cording to its selected position.

5. In a booth according to claim 4, said top retainer elements comprising pins projecting 'from. top and side of said posts, and said cloth having grommets to engage all of said pins when used as a top cover.

6. In a booth or the like, a knockdown frame comprising corner posts comprising separable half sections, each lower section having a bottom anchor pin and one lower section having secured thereto a loop and its respective upper section having a top pin, a knockdown top brace comprising a center socket member and diagonal brace rods with end pins which engage their respective upper half-post section, and a continuous side curtain for the booth having at one end a loop which receives said post with the loop and top pin and at its other end a door flap with a loop at its free edge, means to support said curtain overhead from said posts, a swinging door post in said flap loop having a top eye member adapted to engage said top pin when its bottom end is engaged in said bottom loop to hold the flap door closed.

7. In a booth or the like, corner posts with bottom anchors and top brace means, a continuous side curtain demountably supported by said posts and surrounding the booth, meansto secure one end of said curtain to a corner post,

and releasable means to secure the other end of said curtain as a door flap to the same post, said releasable means comprising a rigid member and complemental interlocking top and bottom ele- JAMES E. BITTICK. 

